This belonged to my father who, in his late high school and early college years (late 1960s), worked at a grocery store. One of his tours of duty was in the produce department where he picked up this Exeter Produce & Storage Huron Pride Rutabagas burlap bag.

With some scrap wood and twine (and little money to spend) he turned it into a piece of “art” that adorned his otherwise blank dormitory walls. He said it became quite a conversation piece.

It is a piece I have always admired for its simple, rustic, old-timey design. It hung in my dorm rooms and apartments as a young adult. It has been stored in a closet as of late, but it might be time to enjoy it again.

Exeter Produce was founded in 1951 and is still operational today in southwestern Ontario, Canada. They are still a major producer of rutabagas that are shipped throughout Canada, the north-eastern U.S., and the Caribbean!

Without some serious restoration and preservation it is quite likely that this delicate family artifact might not survive another generation (if it is even wanted).

Maybe that is how it is meant to be. And that is okay.

Thanks for taking a look at the Family History Artifact of the Day Challenge! Every day in May I will be posting a family artifact or heirloom. I hope you’ll join!

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